JERSEY CITY – Mayor-elect Steven Fulop has asked his transition team to focus on several key priority areas prior to his July 1 swearing in.

The transition team, which will be co-chaired by Hudson County Freeholder William O’Dea and State Sen. Sandra Cunningham, will include about 40 members, according to O’Dea, and will be announced some time this week.

According to a five-page document Fulop drafted days after his election, the mayor-elect plans to create 11 transition subcommittees. “I am asking these committees, under the direction of co-chairs [O’Dea and Cunningham], to conduct an overall assessment of existing [city] functions and to make recommendations for change that will move our city forward,” Fulop states in a transition document that will be shared with committee members.

The 11 focus areas that the transition team subcommittees will focus on include: budget and financial operations; public safety; city departments; the city’s autonomous agencies; executive recruitment; workforce development, training, and ex-offender re-entry; real estate/redevelopment; education and recreation; cultural development and tourism; and information and technology initiatives. An 11th subcommittee will conduct a review of all pending and prospective lawsuits involving the city.

“The idea is to create 11 sub-groups that are going to work within the 11 areas,” said O’Dea. “My thought is I’ll spend time in areas where I have a level of expertise. Then, looking to the big picture, Sen. Cunningham and I will help make sure the other sub-groups are doing what they’re supposed to do and give them tasks and timelines. You’re not going to get all of this done in six weeks, to be realistic. If you really want to do a good transition, I think it’s more practical to have a transition team in place for three, four, five, even six months after you’re in so you can come up with strong plans that you can implement over time.” – E. Assata Wright